Changes that happen to the fixed Stars. 185 
taken place. If we consider how little attention has formerly 
been paid to this subject, and that most of the observations 
we have are of a very late date, it would perhaps not appear 
extraordinary were we to admit the number of alterations that 
have probably happened to different stars to be a hundred ; 
this compared with the number of stars that have been exa- 
mined, with a view to ascertain their changes, which we can 
hardly rate at three thousand, will give us a proportion of 1 to 
30. But we are very certain that had a number of observers 
applied themselves to the same subject, which is of such a 
nature as to require the attentive scrutiny of many diligent 
persons at the same time, many more discoveries might pro- 
bably have been made of changeable and periodical stars, 
whose variations are too small to strike a general observer. 
In the application we shall make of this subject however, a 
proportion, such as 1 to 30, or even 1 to 300, is sufficiently 
striking to draw our attention. 
By observations such as this paper has been calculated to 
promote and facilitate, we are enabled to resolve a problem 
not only of great consequence, but in which we are all imme- 
diately concerned. Who, for instance, would not wish to 
know what degree of permanency we ought to ascribe to the 
lustre of our sun ? Not only the stability of our climates, but 
the very existence of the whole animal and vegetable creation 
itself is involved in the question. Where can we hope to re- 
ceive information upon this subject but from astronomical ob- 
servations ? if it be allowed to admit the similarity of stars 
with our sun as a point established, how necessary will it be 
to take notice of the fate of our neighbouring suns, in order to 
guess at that of our own ! That star which among the multi- 
mdccxcvl. B b 
